The present invention relates to devices and methods for dispensing substances. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices and methods for dispensing fluids and to a powered dispenser for attachment to a reservoir containing a fluid to be dispensed.
Hand operated sprayers are often mounted on containers of household liquids such as window and bathroom cleaners or ARMOR ALL®. A household liquid is dispensed from the hand-operated sprayer by repeatedly squeezing a lever on the sprayer. This can be tiresome. Consequently, powered sprayers have been previously developed to replace the hand-operated sprayers.
These previous powered sprayers suffer from several drawbacks. First, they often cannot be mounted on an off-the-shelf container of household liquid, instead relying on a special reservoir that must be refilled by the user. This can be messy and/or inconvenient for a user.
Second, the previous powered sprayers have spray heads or housings that are substantially larger and heavier than the standard hand operated sprayers. As a result, the previous powered sprayers tend to be top heavy and unwieldy. They tend to be expensive in comparison to non-powered sprayers and, for at least these reasons, are not optimally marketable.
The present disclosure further relates to flow controls, valves, and devices for controlling, starting, and stopping a flow, and to methods of making and using such controls, valves, and devices. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to controls, valves, and devices that control, start, and/or stop a flow in one direction and, more particularly, to one-way valves having an actuator assist.
Valves, including one-way valves, are used in many situations and arts to influence, control, or regulate flows of substances. Examples include the refining or chemical processing industries, coating systems or mechanisms, and dispensing systems or mechanisms, such as handheld sprayers, water guns, robotic sprayers, and the like.
No matter what flow, spray system, or flow path a valve may be associated with or used in, the flowing substance to be controlled may include aggressive formulas that leak and/or leave a sticky residue in the interior of a nozzle, dispensing system or sprayer head, and on valve components or surfaces, e.g., the seat, stem, peripheral edge, etc. Valves provided inside a sprayer head, for example, may be used to regulate the flow of air and fluid in the sprayer and prevent leaks. However, such valves may become sticky due to the residues left by the fluids. Thus, the valves may tend to stick open and leak, and/or stick closed and prevent the air or fluid from passing through. The sticky residue may be caused by direct contact between the valves and fluid from a reservoir of the sprayer or by contact with vapors from the fluid in the reservoir.
There is a need in the art for a powered sprayer that has a spray head or housing that is similar in size and configuration to a standard hand operated sprayer. There is also a need in the art for a valve, and in some embodiments a one-way valve, that compensates for and/or reduces the likelihood of leakage, substandard performance, or malfunction. There is a need in the art for a valve having an actuator assist for initiating and/or facilitating the opening of the valve. There is a further need in the art for a dispensing or spray system, sprayer, power sprayer, or the like that maintains a properly pressurized fluid reservoir and a valve that maintains proper operation under use with aggressive formulas.